In today’s competitive marketplace businesses need to seek out every opportunity to lower costs while improving their team’s productivity. A scanner can cut costs, improve document workflows and increase productivity. Many businesses are still dependent on paper workflows; using your scanner can cut your reliance on paper, lower print and consumables costs and make document sharing and collaboration a breeze!

A recent IDC survey found that 21.3% of productivity losses are related to paper in the office. Here are four tips to improve your productivity and cut costs by using your office scanner.

Scan Safely – Every business needs to be concerned with safety. Multifunction printers (MFPs) equipped with Xerox ConnectKey technology provide end-to-end scanning encryption. ConnectKey can also encrypt and password protect data using the Scan to Email app. External email is encrypted between MFPs and externally hosted email servers.
Scan to Email – Scan to email allows direct to email scanning and delivery with one simple step. The recipient can open, view, and save any document. This process uses protocols like SecurePDF to keep your information safe.
Mobile Scanning – The Xerox Mobile Link app lets you scan or fax from any device. By connecting with ConnectKey-enabled MFPs you can send documents to, and print from, the cloud. Additional options let you scan or print directly without connecting to any network.
Scan Documents to Collaborate and Share – Studies have shown that document recovery can take up to 18 minutes per incidence. ConnectKey enabled devices using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software can create searchable, documents that can be edited and shared quickly. Documents can be centrally stored, searchable and only a mouse click away. This function alone can simplify workflows and save your company […]

As large corporations move increasingly to digital workflows, small and medium-sized businesses aren’t transitioning as quickly. Digital workflows have a number of benefits, with many companies seeing significant benefits within the first 18 months. From increased productivity to better monitoring, the benefits can be even more important for SMBs with limited resources.

Startling Paper Facts

Paper many be costing your business more than you think. On average, each office worker uses over 10,000 sheets of paper per year, nearly half of which wind up in the recycling bin within 24 hours. This adds up to over $120 billion per year on paper costs across the U.S.

Beyond the sheer cost of the paper itself, you’re losing money to lost productivity. In paper-heavy offices, employees can lose six hours per week in searching for documents. Misfiled and lost documents come with a hefty price tag. Even more alarming is the fact that experts believe 70% of paper-reliant businesses would fail within weeks if they suffered a fire or flood and lost their documents.

Going Digital

Going digital eliminates many of the overhead costs associated with paper documents. Digital storage is very affordable, and allows you to easily make and store backup copies in multiple off-site locations. If your main office suffers a fire or flood your documents will still be safe. Cloud storage also allows employees to access documents remotely, which is increasingly important in today’s fast-paced world.

Digital files can be easily indexed, making them quickly searchable. Human resources and accounting especially benefit from the efficiency and reduced errors that going digital can bring.

Small and medium businesses have limited resources to spend. Wasting your time, money, and energy on producing and managing paper documents may be holding your business back. […]

When you’re staring at a pile of work, it can seem insurmountable to get it all done. However, by taking steps to increase your productivity, you may find yourself getting more done in less time, while also feeling less stressed. Try some of these tips to be more productive during the workday.

Take Control of Your Email

Do you jump to respond every time your email chimes? This reaction, though normal, may be harming your ability to get your work done. There are several ways to tame your email:

Turn off notifications, and set scheduled times to check your email and stick to them. Without notifications, you’ll be able to focus on your work and your emailing time will also be more productive.
Use email filters to sort your inbox into folders for you. This allows you to focus on only the emails you must deal with right now and save the rest for later.
Reply to simple emails as soon as you read them. Whether it’s a simple RSVP to a meeting or a piece of information for a coworker, if it will only take you a couple minutes to answer, do it now instead of waiting for later.

Scheduled Interruptions

You can’t focus if you’re interrupted on and off all day – but nor should you forgo breaks, as they are important to your physical and mental well-being. Schedule breaks into your day and use this time to:

Take a walk
Meditate
Chat with a coworker

In between breaks, keep your door closed, or let your coworkers know you’re not to be interrupted for non-urgent matters. If you have something particularly time-sensitive, you may want to work from home if possible to eliminate unwanted interruptions.

ConnectKey technology by Xerox has been transforming the way we work today. It offers your team access to the office print environment whenever and wherever they need it. It gives your team the freedom to be more productive and solve problems when they happen, in the office or on the road.

Xerox has recently released 29 new products including 19 new VersaLink printers and MFPs and 10 new AltaLink MFPs as a part of the growing ConnectKey compatible portfolio.

Here are some of the benefits and new features of these great new workplace assistants!

VersaLink Printers and MFPs: These devices are perfect for small to mid-sized organizations. Thanks to ConnectKey technology, they combine innovative functionality with a low cost of ownership. With 19 new devices to choose from, you can find the perfect device to fit your unique business needs.

AltaLink MFPs: This line is designed for larger enterprise organizations. AltaLink provides increased productivity with faster boot times and single pass scanning. Ten new devices offer an assortment of A3, color and monochrome MFPs to choose from.
Both VistaLink and AltaLink workplace assistants offer some amazing benefits including:
• Intuitive Interface – All 29 new devices offer an industry-leading interface that is customizable to meet your unique needs and office document workflows. The design is intuitive and easy to use, meaning fewer clicks to get your work done and that means less time spent at the printer!

• Mobile and Cloud Compatibility – Information flows easily between Xerox devices and cloud apps like Office 365, Dropbox, and Google Drive. This means easier access for mobile workers. They can print, scan, and share documents from any device including laptops, tablets and smartphones while on the road!

Paper documents can be hard to organize and store and processing them manually can lead to misfiling and loss. By using digital technology, everyday tasks can become streamlined, leading to many benefits for your company. The first step towards automating your processes is to identify where the biggest benefits can be realized.

The Benefits of Automation

Employees spend many hours each week completing every day, repetitive, tasks. During this process, it’s easy for errors to be made – equating to loss of time and money. For some tasks, especially in paper-heavy departments, turning to digital automation can dramatically streamline the way you do business, and add to your bottom line.

Automated tasks reduce the possibility for human error and can be completed more quickly. Additionally, digitally automated tasks can be better tracked for auditing and regulatory purposes. By better monitoring your business, you can better manage it, with the effects trickling down to every department.

Getting Started

Getting started involves identifying those tasks which would benefit most from automation. Typically, these will be paper-heavy tasks, such as in accounting or HR. A Managed Print Services provider may be able to help you quickly identify those processes that are bogging down your business the most, so you can target these areas first.

Once these tasks are identified, they need to be further broken down:

What type of documents are you processing, and what format do they take? (i.e. paper, pdf, word file)
How are your documents currently stored, and do you want to change this?
What is the volume of documents that needs to be processed each week?
How are documents be distributed, and to whom? (i.e. email, fax, paper report)
What does your current technology look like and are you […]

Are you still using paper for most of your critical business processes? If you are, you’re spending a lot of time and money managing all that paper. We’ve been hearing about the paperless office for 20 years, yet every year it seems like we’re using more and more paper!

Technology available today makes it possible to significantly reduce or even eliminate paper in the workplace. Digital documents are easier to store, share, search and protect. Going paperless requires the development of a strategy to reduce paper use. Here are a few ideas to get you started!

What do you print? – Start by tracking your current output for each employee over a fixed time period to establish a baseline. Use manual logs and the meters on your copier to track use. Consider working with a Managed Print Services provider who can install tracking software for detailed fact-based data.
Transition to the Cloud – Cloud-based applications allow for easier document sharing and collaboration. Talk with your vendors and customers and see if they will join you on the cloud.
Scan All Documents – Document scanners and multifunction devices are affordable and offer the capability to scan documents directly to network drives, emails, or directly into document workflows.
Digitally Sign Documents – Most countries now recognize the legality of digitally signed documents.
Bank Online – Speak with your bank and other financial institutions request paperless statements. Pay your bills and accept payment electronically when possible. Set alerts to let you know when bills are due.
Offer Incentives – Reward you staff for reducing paper use.

Going paperless, or at least significantly lowering paper use, is possible and can pay big dividends. Along […]

In order to successfully run a non-profit organization, you need to be able to operate within a strict budget. Printing is a necessary operating expense that can drive up costs if not managed properly. Many non-profit organizations have complex print environments with many devices (often out-of-date) spread across different departments making it difficult to determine how much they are actually spending on print.
Managed Print Services is an effective solution to many of the printing challenges that non-profit organizations are facing. Here are just a few of the ways that the right Managed Print Services provider can benefit your non-profit organization:

Reduce costs. A Managed Print Services provider will conduct a thorough print assessment at the onset of your partnership. They will provide you with a fact-based report that will detail the number of print devices in your inventory and give insight into your actual printing costs, volumes and behaviors. The report will highlight opportunities to realize immediate cost savings. In fact, Managed Print Services can help non-profit organizations reduce printing costs by as much as 30 percent.

Develop and maintain a predictable operating budget. Because your Managed Print Services provider will serve as a single point of contact for all of your print-related needs, printing costs become more predictable.

Allow you to get the most from your print equipment. For budgeting reasons, many non-profit organizations are using out-of-date printers and don’t always have routine maintenance performed on the equipment. This often results in printer downtime and a loss in productivity. A Managed Print Services provider will proactively perform routine service on your print devices to prevent any gaps in service and minimize the need for costly repairs.

These days it feels like everyone is on social media, and if your small business is not, you’re missing out on some great opportunities. While Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms used correctly can enhance your business, making mistakes in your social media interactions can be costly.
When managing your social media accounts, be sure to avoid these common errors that many small businesses make:

Doing Too Much
In the beginning, it’s tempting to want to engage on all of the social media platforms available – but if you don’t have the resources to regularly post relevant and engaging content you could be wasting your time by spreading yourself too thin. Pick one platform to start, and build slowly as you become more adept at navigating marketing via social media.
Ignoring Feedback
When visitors leave questions or comments – even negative ones – you must respond! Replying helps build an on-going relationship and lets clients and potential clients know you truly care about their experience with your product or service. Own up to mistakes and be sure every person who comments feels valued.
Not Posting Enough
Regular posting schedules helps people get to know your company. If you’re not posting frequently, it’s easy for your message to get lost in the shuffle and overlooked.
Spam
No one likes spam. It’s imperative that you know and follow accepted protocols for how to contact visitors. Direct or private messages are often considered spam unless you have previously made contact with that person and are responding to a particular situation, such as a product complaint. Always ask before initiating such contact.
Deleting
The Internet is forever – and deleting sends the wrong message. If you’ve said something you regret, create a new post, apologize and clarify. If someone leaves a negative […]

Today, we often use the terms copier and multifunction printer interchangeably, but the fact is they have some pretty significant differences. If you’re in the market for a new machine, start by evaluating your needs to determine which is best for you. Machine size and features should play a role in your decision so be sure to consider the number of users and the functions they’ll need before you take the leap.
Let’s look at and understand the differences between these two different machines:
Multifunction Devices
These machines are workhorses that combine the features of a copier, printer, fax machine and scanner into a single device; many models can fit on a desktop. Here are some of the key benefits of MFPs:

A much smaller footprint saves space and replaces a room full of machines with a single device.
The scanner on your MFP can improve productivity in the office by routing digital documents directly into workflows including saving into network folders, direct to email, fax or directly onto the cloud for secure storage.
One machine saves money on maintenance, supplies and repairs.
Reclaim valuable office space for more productive mission critical tasks, like additional workspace.
Fax capabilities allow you to communicate with clients who still rely on fax technology.

Copiers

Copiers have evolved tremendously in the past few years. Traditionally, they made copies of paper documents and did little else. Today, copiers are much like MFPs only with a much larger footprint. These machines can produce up to 90 pages of output per minute. Other features include:

Enhanced power and speed means they can keep up with the needs of even the busiest office environment.
Today’s copiers can handle more sizes of paper and other printable media.
They also offer […]

Legal firms are often swimming in paper, in fact almost every function surrounding the law involves paper. Experts estimate that firms spend between one and three percent of annual revenue on document output, with only 30% of this amount going towards toner and maintenance.
As a result, many law firms have no idea of what their total cost of operation (TCO) is regarding print. This is partly due to uncoordinated purchases of equipment and consumables across departments. Add to this the costs of operation for different devices from various vendors, and it’s easy to see why it’s hard to pin down TCO.
Managed Print Services (MPS) offers effective solutions for getting your firm’s print environment under control. MPS can help to reduce costs by improving document workflows and establishing efficient print practices. Here are some more areas where a Managed Print Services provider can help:

Assessment and Consolidation of Assets – Once engaged, the first task your MPS provider will complete is a thorough assessment of your firm’s entire print environment including equipment, supplies and document workflow. Based on their assessment, they will pinpoint areas where print equipment could be consolidated or updated to best serve your firm’s needs.
Ergonomics: Printer Placement – Many law firms often have more than one device or copy room that may not be convenient for all employees or departments. Waiting to access a printer can create bottlenecks, hamper workflows and impact productivity. An MPS provider can relieve this by shifting devices to alternate areas providing easier access, and freeing resources in high-traffic areas.

The Benefits of MPS

MPS also addresses many other challenges legal firms face in terms of print infrastructure, including: